Practice is more than a routine; it's the dynamic force that reshapes our very being. Every repetition is a reprogramming of our essence. When we break from the old patterns, we make room for new pathways to emerge. It's this deliberate act of practice that births fresh responses and exposes the rigid ones.
Oddly, we grasp the value of practice in sports, therapy, business, and creativity, yet spirituality often escapes this understanding. Yet here, it is most crucial. Like Jesus' metaphor of new wine and new skins, practices create vessels to hold the sacred. They are not mere rituals but transformative tools.
While some rituals became rote obligations, losing their essence, others were a rewiring of our very selves. Yet mindless repetition can lead to unconsciousness, unless it breaks us open to new insights, desires, and compassion. Genuine spirituality births inner and outer freedom, not fear-driven rituals.
The beads we rattle may echo an era of "magical" consciousness, but they can also be portals to mature understanding. Divine gifts are freely given, yet they require our choice, our "yes." Love, in its purest form, waits for our invitation.
Embrace practice not as a mindless routine, but as a conscious act of transformation. Each repetition is a brushstroke on the canvas of our soul, painting a picture of depth and wisdom.
(adopted from: Richard Rohr, Just This)
This makes good sense.....thanks for sharing. Ida